Santa Clara County firefighter salary, 2025

168 people worked as firefighters for Santa Clara County in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $225,543, overtime included.

What is the average firefighter salary at Santa Clara County?

Official pay range1

$132,473 to $177,124

from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest firefighter title

Average total pay, full-year firefighters1

$225,543

average base pay $160,485

Based on the 131 of 168 firefighters who worked the full year.

Most of Santa Clara County's firefighters (164 of 168) hold the title Firefighter/Engineer, with an official range of $145,720 to $177,124. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $225,165, $48,041 above the top of the range.

Median total pay
$221,006
the middle firefighter: half earned more, half less
Overtime
$42,646
average per full-year firefighter
Starting salary
$132,473
bottom of the Firefighter range
Average pay rank
14th
of 202 California employers

What does each firefighter title at Santa Clara County pay?

Each bar is the official range for one title, lowest first. The dot marks the average total pay of full-year staff in that title, where at least 5 people stand behind it.1

  1. Firefighter$132,473 to $161,022 · fewer than 5 people
    Fewer than 5
  2. Firefighter/Engineer$145,720 to $177,124 · 164 people
    $225,165

official range average total pay, full year. "Fewer than 5" means too few full-year people in that title to show.

Fire captain and battalion chief pay at Santa Clara County

Ranks above firefighter, kept out of the firefighter figures on this page. Each rank's name leads to its statewide overview. Range: the middle reported bottom and top of each rank's official range. Pay: average total pay of full-year staff, overtime included.1

RankPeopleOfficial rangeAverage total pay
Firefighters168$132,473 to $177,124$225,543
Captains84$174,864 to $212,548$283,510
Battalion Chiefs11$233,944 to $284,361$333,536

Full-year captains averaged $283,510, $57,967 more than firefighters.

Does Santa Clara County pay firefighters more than other employers in Santa Clara County?

Average total pay of full-year firefighters: Santa Clara County next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1

Full-year firefighters at Santa Clara County earned $10,957 more than the Santa Clara County average and $39,420 more than the California average.

Average firefighter pay in Santa Clara County compared to nearby counties

Average total pay of full-year firefighters across all employers in each county that borders Santa Clara County, and how much more or less it pays.1

Santa Clara County Shades match the state map.

Where does Santa Clara County rank among California employers?

Every employer with at least 5 full-year firefighters, by average total pay.1

All 202 California employers

Santa Clara County ranks 14th of 202, above the middle employer.

Santa Clara County
$100k$150k$200k$250k

Middle employer: $169,232

The 7 employers in Santa Clara County

Santa Clara County ranks 3rd of 7, above the middle employer.

Santa Clara County
$150k$200k$250k

Middle employer: $213,043

Each bar counts the employers whose average total pay falls in a $5,000 band. The dashed line marks the middle employer.

Pension and health cover at Santa Clara County

As reported by the county. Contributions are what the employer paid per full-year firefighter, on top of wages.1

Pension formula
2.7% at 57
the most common formula among Santa Clara County's firefighters
Employer pension contribution
$36,089
average per year
Health, dental and vision
Not reported
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about firefighter pay at Santa Clara County

What is the average firefighter salary at Santa Clara County?

Firefighters at Santa Clara County who worked the full year earned an average of $225,543 in 2025, overtime included. The middle firefighter earned $221,006: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its firefighter titles runs from $132,473 to $177,124.

How much overtime do firefighters at Santa Clara County earn?

Full-year firefighters were paid an average of $42,646 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $40,176: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What is the starting salary for a firefighter at Santa Clara County?

$132,473 a year: the bottom of the official range for Santa Clara County's Firefighter title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year firefighters averaged $225,543 in total pay.

How much does a fire captain make at Santa Clara County?

Full-year captains at Santa Clara County averaged $283,510 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $174,864 to $212,548.

What pension do firefighters at Santa Clara County get?

The most common pension formula among Santa Clara County's firefighters is 2.7% at 57, as reported by the county. The employer paid an average of $36,089 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in Santa Clara County

Sources for the Santa Clara County figures

Every person who held a firefighter position at Santa Clara County at any point in 2025 counts toward the headcount. Pay figures use only people who worked roughly the full year: those whose regular pay reached at least 90% of the bottom of their official range. Total pay is gross wages before tax, including overtime, lump sums and other pay. Averages lead; the median total pay is the middle person's, with half above and half below, and is less pulled by a few people with very high pay. Every figure covers at least 5 people.

  1. State Controller's Office, Government Compensation in California, 2025: positions, official pay ranges, wages, pension formula and employer contributions as reported by Santa Clara County.

How we read the data